Method of preparing fabric



Patented Aug. 19, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE No Drawing. Application February 23, 1940, Serial No. 320,451

2 Claims.

ric retaining its natural characteristics in regard to texture and weave, is provided.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description, it being understood that the above general statements of the objects of my invention are intended to explain and not to limit it in any manner.

For the abovesaid fabric I employ a compact fibrous material growing from the sheathing bases of the petioles or leaf stalks of the cocoanut palm tree. This material, known as the sheath, is

found at the base of the branch and resembles a leaf in appearance.

This sheath may be found on the tree in either a live or dead state, it being green in the live state and brown or faded in the dead state. When alive, it is covered with a thin green skin or tissue and when dead, the skin or tissue is flaked and more or less covers the surface.

To prepare the sheath for the subsequent operations, it must be dried thoroughly, such as, for example, exposure to the sun will accomplish, since when green, the sheath is not fit for the intended purpose. Furthermore, the skin or tissue must be removed and the following is the method employed.

First, the sheath must be soaked in water for at least twenty-four hours, this action having the effect of loosening the remaining skin tissue so that it is more easily removable. In addition, this soaking has the important effect of rendering the sheath material quite pliable so that it may be worked as a fabric. Longer soaking produces greater pliabili-ty.

The sheath having been soaked, it is now scrubbed vigorously to remove all the dead skin tissue as well as any foreign matter. After complete cleaning, it is allowed to dry once more and the resulting product is the skeleton of the sheath or a fibrous network having the appearance and texture of woven straw. This network is such as to permit effective bleaching for a white material, and dyeing to produce different colored material.

In order to bleach the sheaths, an ordinary bleaching agent like hydrosulphite may be employed in the following manner: A solution of about 5 lbs. of hydrosulphitin 35 gallons of water is added at a temperature of about F. to a kettle of cold water containing the soaked sheaths and the solution is circulated with a pump for about 20 minutes. After this time, steam is turned on and the temperature of the contents of the kettle is raised to about F. and maintained thus for from one to four hours. Further amounts of hydrosulphite may be added from time to time and when the bleach is sufficient, the sheaths are well rinsed in cold water and thereafter dried.

In order to dye the material, an acid dye may be used in a concentrated bath with the addition of acetic acid, the whole being then boiled for three or four hours.

Besides using the sheath of the palm, I have found that the spathe, which is found enclosing the spadix or inflorescence, is also usable in the same manner described above.

Itis important that the sheaths be soaked and scrubbed very thoroughly because it is only after all tissue and foreign matter has been removed and the sheath rendered pliable, that the article is serviceable as a fabric.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention but it is obvious that numerous changes may be made without departing from its spirit.

I claim:

1. A method of preparing a fabric which comprises soaking dried whole palm sheaths in water to loosen the skin tissues thereof and thereafter scrubbing said sheaths to remove said tissues so as to eliminate all but the sheath skele ton.

2. A method of preparing fabric which comprises soaking dried, Whole palm leaves in water to loosen the skin tissues thereof, said soaking action being maintained long enough to render the leaves pliable, and scrubbing said leaves to remove all skin tissues and foreign matter until a network of fibres remains.

LILLY DACHE. 

